Cutting ladies  dbesses



varm hole shown on this diagram:

UNTTTD .STATTS PATENT OTTTCEf HIRAM SEGER, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

cUTTInG LADIES DREssEs.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 4,367, dated January 28, 1846.

' tion.

The nature of my invent-ion consists in forming a couple of patterns;No. l, being the shape for one half the front of the bodice of a ladysdress, from the center of the front to the seam descending from thelower part of the arm hole; and No. 2 being a pattern for one half theback of a bodice, from the seam under the arm to the center of the back.These patterns are laid off with scales, with holes in them through thesame-the scales being placed in such positions, and the openings in thesame, for clotting through on to the cloth, being placed at suchdistances, that the patterns can be reduced to suit persons of everysize, and yet preserve the shape and nproportio-n of the patterns, andadapt them to every shape and size of form of person.

Description of pattern No. 1.-The star is placed at the bottom of thatportion olii the is placed at the top of the same, there is a slightswell or outward curve from P, to O. O, is placed at the shoulder point.The union of the space between P and O, with the space betweencorresponding letters on Figure 2, forms the seam on the top of theshoulder extending from the neck to the shoulder point. L, is placed atthe top of the seam descending from the center of the front of thebodice, to the point'K at its lower extremity. E, is placed on the lineextending from L, to K, represents the front seam, the space to theright of the line is turned under. rlhe space between O, and L, isho-llowed o-ut to suit the taste of dierent persons, making the dresshigh or low in the neck and bosom. From K, to S, is a diagonal lineextending one half the width of the front point of the dress. S, H, B,

ward. Scale B, on pattern No. l, is placed in a vertical lineimmediately o-ver thestar,

with its lower end abouttwo` and a half inches above thesa-me; thisscale is four and inches in length,and is'div-ided into fifteen equalparts:v at each division a punctureis made through the patternfor.marking throughon to the cloth on which 4it is placed. The-:divisionsin this scale are numbered from the bottom, upward: commencingwith thenumber tenat thebottomkpuncture,and

continuing in regular succession upwardtwenty-four being the lastnumber. Scale C, commences two and inches to the right of the star, andone inch below Vthe same, ex? tending upward from this point at an angleto the right, of about seventyiive degrees with the scale B: this scaleis live inches` inv length, and divided into the same number of equaldivisions, puncturedV and numbered from the botto-m towardthe top, inthesame manner as scale B. Scale A, commences, a half an inch from shoulderpoint O, and extends downward nearly in an exact line toward the star:this scale is seven and inches in length, and divided into t-he samenumber of equal parts, punctured and numbered from the bottom to the topin the same manner as scales B and O. f Scale VD, commences two inchesbelow the top of-line E, and about a half inch to the rightof the same,and extends to the left in a direction at right angles with scale B;this scale isSlf inches long and is dividedinto sixteen equal parts, andis punctured and numbered from the left to the right,-commencing at thenumber ten-in the sameinanner as the scales previously described. Thescale F, extends along the side S,`H, ofthe gore, parallel with thesame, and terminates an inch above the point at letter S. This scale iseight inches in length, and is divided into sixteen equal parts; ispunctured and-numbered from the top downward, commencing at the samenumber as the other scales. f f' Description of pattern or diagram No.2.-The red line y, is the guide fortheback seam,'that\portion of thepattern-to the left, is taken in. The scale A is placed lengthwisecentrally on this line, its upper end about halfl an inch below the topAof the same; this scale is live anda half inches in length, and isdivided into fteen equal parts, is punctured and numbered fromthe bottomto the top, commencing at the numvber ten, in the same manner as scaleB, on

pattern No. l, above described. From the notch at the top of line y, tothe shoulder point O, forms the top of the back of the bodice, and is astraight linefrom the shoulder point O, to the point l), is the exactlength and shape of that part of the edge of pattern No. l, between vthesame letters, and is united with it forming the seam on the top of theshoulder. P is placed j at thetop of one half the arm hole, and

letter V, at the bottom of the same, the

The scale B, commences an inch and quarter below the point O, anddescendsdown ward bearing toward the left at an angle of seventy fivedegrees from said point, withthe scale Agscale B, is 5.1; inches inlength, and is divided into sixteen equal parts, is punctured andnumbered from the bottom to the top in the same lnanner of the scalesbefore described. Scale C, commences at point P at the upper part of thearm hole, and extends down toward the center of the pattern at an angleof about forty five de-` grees, with Athe back seam line y; this scaleis divided into fifteen equal parts and is punctured and numbered fromits inner end to the outer, in the same manner as the other scalesbefore described. Scale D, commences about an inch in a horizontaldirection to the left of the letter V, at the bottom of the arm hole,and extends to the left in a horizontal direction; this scale is ve andthree fourth inches in length, and is divided int-o fifteen equal parts;is punctured and numbered from its inner end toward the outer, in thesame manner as the other scales before described.

Directions for taking the measure of of.`

lady, preliminary to cutting a dress upon 'my improved pian-1st. Placethe end of a tape measure at the backA of the neck on the socket or neckjoint, and carry it down vertically to the bottom of the waist, for thelength of the same. 2nd. Place the end of the measure close under thearm, and bring it down plumb on to the hip joint. 3rd. Place the end ofthe measure at the back of the neck, on neck joint or socket, bring itover the shoulder and down in front as low as you desire the frontcentral po-int of the body of the dress to come. 4th. Measure around thewaist and mark down one half the size. 5th. Measure around the Waist andset down one half the size :-this last is` the governing, measure whichis always marks upon the cloth, through each punci ture or openinghaving that number opposite it, in every scale on the sheet-likewise imake a dot through the opening in the star in all cases. When this isdone, raise the sheet, and draw the outlines from dot to dot, bytheouter edges of the diagram opposite the scales through which the do-tswere made.. I apply the third measure as follows: In the first place,deduct from the amount the width of the back, as shown by the distancebetween the numbers, 18, on scales A and B, on diagram No. 2, `thenapply one end of the measure to the dot made through scale A, (Sheet No.1,) and carry down the same on the line drawn from the dot made throughscale D, to the dot made through scale F, making a mark where the 3rdmeasure, as corrected, terminates, which will be the length of the frontof the body of the dress: then place the point at the bottom of line E,on the last mark made, and form the front point of the body of the dressby the sheet. -I form the gore as follows: Place your tape measure aboutone inch vertically below the dot made through the star, and bring ithorizontally across to the front line; then double your measure and makea mark half way between the points connected by the measure. At thismark place the top H, of the gore, and form the sides by sheet. Theright hand side of the gore should just touch the left hand corner (S)of the front point of the body. The 4th or waist measure is applied asfollows: Take one half the waist measure as marked on your memorandum,or one fourth the en tire measure around the waist, and place it at thefront point of the body, carry it to the left, deducting the gore,yuntil you form a junction with the 2nd, measure taken, descending fromthe dot made through the star, at this point of junction make a mark: tothis mark applythe lower corner Q, of the diagram, the back side of thesame, touchingthe dot made through the star, then draw a line by theback of the sheet from one mark to the other-likewise form ,the bottomof the body by the bottom ofthe through C, up to the dot made throughscale B. Where a person is large around the breast and very small in thewaist, it will be necessaryto out out two gores, the second gore, beingrepresented by dotted lines on this diagram (No. l).

The fore part of the dress body is now ready for cutting out, if theabove directions have been complied with. The fore part of the bottom ofwaist of the body should be drafted from one and half to two incheslarger than one fourth the waist measure. It is deemed unnecessary togive a draft of the sleeve, as every one must be aware that the fashionchanges once or twice a year. I would therefore recommend to every onelearning this system to apply to some mantuamaker for the latestfashion. The patterns or diagrams should be constructed of strongpasteboard.

Directions for drafting the back of a lady/s dress-First draw a straightline on the cloth, then place pattern No. 2, upon the same in such aposition that the seam line 1/ will be exactly over the line on thecloth; while the diagram is in this position, dot on the cloth throughall the scales on the sheet, through the apertures opposite the samenumbers, dotted through in pattern No. l, for the forepart ofthe dress,viz. the governing measure; then raise the pattern and place the top ofseam line y, on the dot made through scale A, and' draw a line by thetop of the sheet to the dot made through scale B; next place theshoulder point O, of the pattern at the dot made through scale B, anddraw a line by the edge ofthe pattern bet-Ween O and P, to lthe dot madethrough scale C. Place the curved edge of the pattern between scales Cand D, so as to touch the dots made through these two scales, and drawthe curved line between the two by the edge of the pattern. Apply thefirst measure taken by measuring the dis? tance from the dot madethrough scale A, on the seam line y, and make a mark for the depth ofthe waist. The side seam under the arm I obtain as follows: Take thefront part of the dress body, already cut out, and place the lower partof the arm hole on the same, at the lower part of the arm hole on theback part of the dress body I am marking out; then place the measuringtape on the mark made on seam line y for the bottom of the waist, andapply the fourth or waist measure to the two parts of the dress asfollows: Ivary the position of the lower part of the front part of thebody in or out- (keeping the shoulder points together) until the half ofthe 4th measure will extend eX- actly from the mark on the seam line y,to the point Q, on the front part of the body. I then make a mark on thecloth at the place where the lower back corner Q, of the forepart rests;to this mark I apply the corner IV, of the pattern No. 2, and draw acurved line by the edge of the sheet upward to the dot made throughscale D at the bottom of the arm hole. I nextl draw a line by the bottomofthe pattern No. 2 from the mark made at corner l/V, to mark on theseam line y, and the back part of the body is then ready for cuttingout.

Having thus fully described my system of forming and cutting the ybodiesof ladies dresses, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

l. The form of the patterns Nos. 1 and 2, and the arrangement of thegraduating open scales upon the same, for'adapting the patterns topersons of different sizes, constructed and operating substantially inthe manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

Q. I also claim the manner of applying the several measures taken inobtaining the size of a ladys fo-rm, by means of the patterns andscales, so as to shape the dierent parts of the body of a dresssubstantially as herein set forth.

HIRAM SEGER. Witnesses:

Z. C. RoBrNs, S. C. DORM.

